Highlights

Description of Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples holidays

There is a lot to pack into an Amalfi coast holiday, Naples, Herculaneum, the island of Capri and incredible walking routes that line the coast, dipping in and out both the Gulf of Naples and the Gulf of Salerno. Both of these Gulfs compete for gorgeousness, but this eight day trip manages to capture many of their highlights, based in one charming family owned hotel for the entire stay, and taking private transport out to the various daily sites every day. The hotel, in the village of Bomerano has an outdoor pool and is in a lovely elevated position with a refreshing breeze when you most need it.

Travelling in a small group, with a local expert guide accompanying you, tours include the dramatic and omnipresent Vesuvius, as well as the ancient Roman town it ruined, Herculaneum. There is a separate option to visit Pompeii on your free day as well. To take in the present day beauty of this extraordinary coastline, however, we have included a day of walking on a trail that merits its name, Walk of the Gods. From here you will have some of the most breathtaking views of the Amalfi Coast, the jewel in its crown being the town of Positano, which should compete for prettiest town in the world title, set into the cliffs with ancient stairways leading to piazzas, caves or beaches.

You can’t go to the Amalfi Coast, however, without a boat trip to the Island of Capri. An idyll on many levels whether you are an historian, natural heritage fan or just a people watcher. It is glam, gorgeous and full of green walking trails, and makes for a fitting finale to this great week.

Travel Team

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Small group holiday

Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, travelling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week holiday, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.

The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.

We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.

What are the main benefits?

Big experiences
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.

Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!

Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.

Who is it ideal for?

Travellers who are short of time
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.

Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.

Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.

Mythbuster

“I won’t get any privacy!”
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.

“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.

“The accommodation will be basic”Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.

“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.

“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.

Meet a group Leader

Name: Valerie Parkinson

Story: The first British woman to climb Manaslu, Valerie climbed Everest for her 50th birthday. She’s spent fourteen Christmas Days trekking to Everest Base Camp, and is involved insetting up Responsible Tourism initiatives in the Himalayas.

Meet a local guide

Name: Roshan Fernando

Story: Roshan has led over 130 trips – he adores showing travellers around Sri Lanka. He won the company Leader Award in 2010, but his career highlight was working on their Tsunami Project – which earned him a responsible tourism award.

Responsible tourism

Responsible tourism: Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples holidays

Accommodation and Meals:We spend the week in the family-run Hotel Le Due Torri in Agerola, a relatively unknown area of Amalfi, so our guests are providing income to an area that does not usually benefit from tourism. The hotel recently installed solar panels which provide hot water for all rooms all year round. All the hotel food is homemade, using locally produced and sourced goods where possible, and guests often have the opportunity to learn from their hosts how to prepare a traditional Neapolitan pizza one evening. Where meals are not provided, there is the chance to support local businesses and to try some authentic, regional specialties. These include: antipasti, homemade pasta, delicious Neapolitan pizza and fresh seafood.

Local Craft and Culture:We visit many places of interest including the city of Herculaneum, the Piazza Plebiscito and National Museum in Naples and Pompeii. All money spent here goes directly to maintaining these iconic historical sites and paying the wages of those who work there. Of course, a huge part of Italian culture is cuisine and this is reflected in locally crafted produce, some of which is unique to this region. Locally smoked mozzarella is a highlight and you will often find it with salads or on pizzas. If there is time, clients can visit a small mozzarella factory and learn about this traditional industry.

UK Office:It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

Group Size:This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

4 Reviews of Amalfi Coast and Bay of Naples holidays

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Reviewed on 18 Jun 2018 by Paula Guyver

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Undoubtedly Herculaneum and Pompeii - they were the reasons I booked this trip and I wasn't disappointed. Capri was amazing too.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

There is a lot of walking - some very strenuous - the Path of the Gods for instance is a long hike with lots of steep climbs and descents. We were not a walking group but a group of mixed abilities and some of our group would have chosen not to take the walk if the difficulty had been properly explained. This is not a restful holiday and there is very little down time.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

I think the holiday did benefit local people - the hotel we stayed in, our guide, the restaurants and the attractions we visited.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

I would give it four stars out of five because when it was good it was outstandingly good - if Path of the Gods had been an option for a free day and something else was on offer I would have given it five stars.

Reviewed on 07 May 2018 by Dave Thomas

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Scenery of the Amalfi Coast

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Be prepared for crowds at popular sites and longish travel by coach on narrow winding roads.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Clearly provided employment in the local village and income for the various shops and cafes in the village.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Very good. Thoroughly enjoyable. Excellent service from the tour guides.

Reviewed on 13 May 2017 by Sharon Lardy

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Pompei was amazing although we didn't have nearly enough time to appreciate the site.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Very interesting and full holiday but not a relaxing holiday at all. Every day is very full.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Reviewed on 26 Jun 2014 by Juliet Dunn

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Most exciting was definitely Walk of the Gods, from Bomerano where we stayed to Positano over 2000' down on the coast. Fantastic views surrounded by wildflowers and herbs, across precipitous slopes and finally descending steps through cacti gardens from Montpertuso. But I also have to say I was surpised by how attractive Naples was, with its very elegant seafront.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

The combination of mountains and coast means that you can experience every sort of weather in one day. So apply sun cream first thing, dress in layers, and have an umbrella or pakamac in your pocket.

When walking in the hills or up Vesuvius, think skiing - if you let anything slip it could quickly be lost forever, so I had my glasses on a chain and used the wriststrap on my camera, pinned on my sunhat, etc.

Keep 50 cent coins handy for automated public toilets!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?

Yes! all our guides and drivers were local and tourism was the major source of income for them. Using a small minibus was much more environmentally-friendly than independent travel, and it reduced number of vehicles on twisty mountain roads. Itinerary was well thought out, eg using local ferries to return to base.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Excellent, can't think why it didn't occur to me to visit this area before.